Here are the top 6 travel experiences in Con Dao Island for what visitors need to know when coming to Con Dao.
Con Dao is known for its pristine beaches, fine white sand, captivating visitors. This place is also considered as “paradise of relaxation” of Vietnam, a peaceful place after the busy days of families.
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The best time to travel to Con Dao Island
From after Tet to the end of summer (March to the end of September) is the best time to travel to Con Dao. This is the rainy season but the showers last only 30 minutes to an hour, the rest of the day is still sunny.
At this time, Con Dao beach is quieter, thanks to the rain, the landscape is greener and more pleasant than the dry season, so visitors can go on sea tours, snorkel and explore desert islands or watch turtles lay eggs. .
From October to February of the following year, the sea usually has big waves, especially Con Son Bay, but Con Dao is in the dry season with lots of sunshine.
On the west and southwest of the island, the sea is still calm and less affected. Visitors should keep this in mind in order to schedule a reasonable trip.
Transport
Airplane: Currently, Con Dao only has Con Son airport which accepts domestic flights of Vietnam Airlines from two locations, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. Also from Hanoi, tourists have to fly to those two points.
The Ho Chi Minh City – Con Dao route frequency is 4-5 flights per day, the Can Tho – Con Dao route is 1, 2 flights per day. Flight time is less than an hour. With such a thick flight frequency, Con Dao tourism becomes easier.
Ship: Tourists take the car to Vung Tau to Cat Lo port to catch a boat to Ben Dam, Con Dao. Ships carrying passengers and cargo are compact and can also carry motorbikes.
These ships usually last up to 12-14 hours with a ticket price of 200,000 VND / way. However, at present, Vung Tau and Soc Trang have sold tickets for the high-speed boat Superdong to Con Dao.
Travel time reduced to 2.5 – 3 hours. High-speed boat ticket price from 220,000 to 1.2 million / way, depending on ticket class and audience.
To move while on the island, tourists can choose taxi, motorbike taxi, or rent a motorbike at hotels and motels for 100,000 – 150,000 VND / day. If you ride a motorbike, you need to fill the gas tank because there are few gas stations on the island.
Staying
Con Dao has two most upscale resorts: Six Senses Con Dao and Poulo Condor Boutique Resort & Spa. The accommodation price here is usually very high, 10 – 15 million VND / night.
The number of 2, 3-star hotels and guesthouses is increasing, so visitors also have more choice of accommodation. The price per night at these points is only from 400,000 VND or more, but also enough basic amenities.
Sightseeing
Dam Trau Beach: is the most beautiful beach in Con Dao, just 30 minutes drive from the town center. The beach has smooth, spongy white sand, surrounded by primeval forests and unique cliffs.
Coming to Dam Trau Beach, visitors are unleashed into the clear blue water or snorkeling. This is a typical destination of Con Dao tourism that many tourists visit.
Suoi Nong Beach: is another beautiful beach, from Dam Trau beach just a short walk you will arrive. Because not many people know Suoi Nong beach, the landscape still remains unspoiled with white sand and a rare mangrove ecosystem.
Hon Bay Canh: is the place where sea turtles spawn and have the largest number of turtles to lay in Con Dao. Visitors here can visit the island and visit the turtles that spawn during the breeding season (April – September).
Con Dao National Park: is the ideal place for tourists who love to explore nature, from coral reefs, seagrasses to mangroves. Here, visitors can experience fishing, scuba diving, cycling, walking, sightseeing, or watching turtles lay eggs at night.
In particular, Con Dao National Park has primeval forest Ong Dung attracting tourists with trekking activities.
Visitors who love swimming can visit the beaches such as Lo Voi, Dat Doc, An Hai or explore the bays of Dam Tre, Con Son Bay, Hon Tre Lon, Hon Cau.
For spiritual travel and history, visitors should visit places such as Nui Mot pagoda, Ba Phi Yen temple, Con Dao prison, Con Dao museum, Hang Duong cemetery.
Cuisine
The delicacies not to be missed when traveling to Con Dao are oyster porridge, snails, moon crabs, fish sauce, oyster sauce, red lobster, red grouper
Oyster porridge cooked from fresh oysters, marinated and stir-fried, is a favorite dish of many diners. Snails can grill onion fat, boil, stir-fry, make the salad.
Moon crabs are often boiled and steamed to eat with lemon pepper salt. Other types of fish and shrimp that can be steamed, grilled, made salad, and cooked porridge is all very delicious.
Shopping
Tourists coming back from Con Dao often buy specialty almond seed jam. This jam is crunchy, crispy, fragrant, very enjoyable to eat and can also be a gift for all ages.
In addition, oyster sauce, a familiar dish of islanders, is also a gift rich in Con Dao flavor that tourists should buy. Oyster sauce can be eaten with rice, dipped with vegetables, or rice paper rolls are very attractive.
Note
- Night entertainment services in Con Dao are limited, goods imported from the mainland often have high prices.
- If you go to the forest to explore nature, remember to bring insect repellents, wear discreet clothes, bring food and water.
- To buy fresh seafood at good prices, visitors should buy them at the fishing port at the time of the boat landing like 6 am or 2 pm.
